Dentifrice and method of making same



Patented 17, 1 935 UNITED" STATES 2,024,146 DENTIFRICE AND'METHOD or sumo sum Hcrl L. Growther, Los Angeles, Calif.

No Drawing. Application January 3. 1934, Serial No. 705,088

10 Claims.

My invention relates tothe art of dental treatment and more particularly to dentifrices and the art of producing these.

Many different dentifrices for aiding the cleaning and preserving of the teeth have been marketed. These have been compounded uniformly on the theory that a clean tooth never decays. Accordingly, the only practical effect of these dentifrlces has been for the most part to exercise a detergent, mildly securing, and antiseptic action on the teeth and surrounding tissues.

Recently a condition of acid in the mouth has been discovered and it has been shown that these acids have a deteriorating effect upon the teeth. This discovery resulted in dentifrices generally having ingredients included in them which tend to chemically neutralize this acid condition.

I have found, however, that none of these palliatives really eliminate the destructive action of the acid in the mouth on the teeth, and it is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a dentifrice which will actually prevent the decay of teeth resulting from acid in the mouth.

In using previous dentifrices the effect of the dentifrice was quite temporary in nature and seldom continued longer than an hour after using.

It is an object of my invention to provide a dentifrice, the effect of which is comparatively long-lived.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a dentifrice which will enhance the natural beauty of the teeth as well as preserve this.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a dentifrice, the normal, regular use of which will cause to be applied to the exposed surfaces of the teeth a protective coating of some relatively inert material, which will remain on said surfaces a relatively long period of time and which, while it remains, will protect such surfaces from attack by destructive agents present in the mouth.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will become manifest in the following description, I have undertaken extensive experiments to determine the conditions in the mouth which have to do with decay of the teeth and have discovered that the tooth structure is always susceptible to decay influences regardless of whether or not it is cleaned even once or twice a day. I have further discovered that the teeth may be preserved against these influences by replacing the destructive film applied thereto by the chemicals in the mouth by a protective coating of acid-resisting wax. In order to make this possible I have devised a dentifrice in which such a wax is incorporated, and this dentifrice and the method of producing the same constitutes the subject matter of this application. While 5 numerous waxes might be used as an acid-resisting wax in my dentifrice, ceresine has proved to be far superior to other waxes for this purpose. Accordingly, I shall describe my dentifrice as being compounded to include ceresine. 10 The dentifrice of my invention may be in the form of a tooth powder or may be in the form of a tooth paste. 'I'he powder form is preferable, however, and for illustrative purposes I shall describe one way of compounding this. 15 To produce a seventy-five pound batch of this 'powder'the following ingredients are used:

Sodium perborate 18 lb. 6% oz. Magnesium oxide powderheavy.. 16 lb. 6% oz. Sodium bicarbonate 10 lb. 2% oz. m Sodium chloride powder 10 lb. 2% oz. Calcium carbonate 4 lb. 4% oz. Powdered borax. 5 lb. 1% oz. Powdered castile soap 8 lb. 3%, oz. ceresine 25 oz. Saccharin soluble 4 oz. 125% grs. Menthol 6 oz. 375 grs. Thy 2 oz. 250 grs. Oil cloves 3% oz. 80 Oil cass 3% oz. Oil peppermint 4 oz. 205 min. Oil spearmint 10 oz. 325 min. Ether 64 oz. or 4 pts.

The manner of compounding my dentifrice in 8! powder form to embody the above ingredients is as follows: All the solid materials are thoroughly dried and are then sifted through a very flne sieve, about No. 60, before mixing. These dry materials are then thoroughly mixed. The ceresine 40 is now melted.- The oils, the menthol and the thymol, are then mixed and this mixture is added to the melted ceresine. The ceresine is now removed from the fire and the ether is added thereto. The mixture of ceresine, oils, and ether is now 4 incorporated with a quarter of the entire amount of mixed powders by constantiy stirring this quantity of powder in a closed electrically heated mixing machine, the powder, of course, being stirred continuously during the spraying of the so liquid thereon and the machine remaining closed duringthis mixing process.

When the powders and the liquids are thoroughly mixed the remaining three-quarters of the powder is added thereto, the powder being stirred continuously during this mixing process. When all the ingredients are now thoroughly mixed the cover is removed and the mixer is allowed to continue running for one hour while the powder is maintained at a temperature which will drive away all the ether which was used to facilitate impregnating the powder with the ceresine.

Following the compounding of the dentifrice of my invention as above noted, the entire mixture is then passed through a No. 40 sieve and placed in air-tight containers.

The powdered dentifrice of my invention when compounded as above described is used in the ordinary manner by brushing the teeth with this powder. When this is done the cleansing ingredients of the powder remove the accumulated mucous from the surfaces of the teeth and for the time being neutralize the acid condition of the mouth. The solution of the water soluble materials in the powder of course frees the wax and permits this to adhere to the surfaces of the teeth scrubbed by the brush. The wax thus applies a coating to the teeth so that following the brushing of the teeth with my dentifrice the mouth feels remarkably clean and the teeth feel smooth. This is a result of the teeth being coated with ceresine which, as well known in the art, is a hard and strongly acid-resisting wax.

The coating of ceresine thus applied to the teeth preserves the teeth from attack by the acids in the mouth during the period intervening between successive applications of the dentifrice of my invention. Furthermore, a high lustre is imparted to the teeth which greatly enhances their natural beauty.

Should it be desired to make up the dentifrice of my invention in the form of a tooth paste instead of a powder as above described, the powdered dentifrice may be mixed with suitable vehicles, such as glycerine and the like, to render the powder paste-like in consistency.

It is thus seen that I have provided a novel dentifrice and method of producing the same, this dentifrice providing a positive protection for the teeth which endures over a considerable length of time after the application of the dentifrice and does not depend for any temporary neutralization of the chemical condition in the mouth for protecting the teeth from attack by the agents so neutralized. A further advantage is found in the fact that the use of the dentifrice of my invention gives the teeth a beautiful polish which adds to their beauty as well as preserving them.

While for illustrative purposes I have hereinabove described a specific mode of preparing the dentifrice of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is by no means limited to this specific mode. For instance, an acid-resistant wax might be incorporated with any desired group of the powdered ingredients mentioned or other powdered substances and when used would have certain of the novel and advantageous functions of the specific dentifrice described, and it is desired that the appended claims be construed with this in mind.

While ceresine has been found to be the best wax tried to date in the dentifrice of my invention, the scope of the invention is not to be understood as restricted to the use of this particular wax. The essential functions of the wax in this dentifrice require only that the wax be capable of attenuation so as to form a thin protective coating upon exposed surfaces of the teeth when the latter are regularly brushed with the dentifrice, and that the wax be sufliciently resistant to decomposition, erosion or melting under the physical and chemical conditions in the mouth, that this protective coating of wax remains on the teeth for at least several hours after its application. Where the term wax is used=in the 5 claims, therefore, it is to be understood as restricted to those waxes having the characteristics pointed out hereinabove in this paragraph.

What I claim is:

1. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body 10 of dry powdered material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth membranes; and a sufficient quantity of wax impregnating the particles of said material and leaving said material in dry powdered form, to 16 form a thin protective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

2. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of dry powdered material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth membranes and consisting principally of antiseptic and cleansing chemicals soluble in water; and a sufllcient quantity of wax in a finely dividll ed condition diffused throughout said material to form a thin protective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

3. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of dry powdered material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth membranes; and a sufllcient quantity of ceresine impregnating the particles of said material and .5 leaving said material in dry powdered form, to form a thin protective coating of ceresine on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

4. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of dry powdered material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth membranes and consisting principally of antiseptic and cleansing chemicals soluble in water; and a sufficient quantity of ceresine impregnating the particles of said material and leaving said material in dry powdered form, to form a thin protective coating of ceresine on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

5. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of cleansing material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth mem- 55 branes; and a suflicient quantity of acid-resistant wax in finely divided condition and diffused throughout said cleansing material to form a thin protective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed 50 regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

6. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of cleansing material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the mouth 65 membranes; and a sufiicient quantity of ceresine in finely divided condition and diffused throughout said cleansing material to form a thin pro- .tective coating of ceresine on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed 70 regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

7. In a dentifrice the combination of a body of cleansing material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the membranes 7'5 thereof; a liquid vehicle mixed with said material to form a paste; and a suflicient quantity of finely divided acid-resistant wax diflused throughout said mixture to form a thin protective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

8. In a dentifrice the combination of: a body of cleansing material suitable for introduction into the mouth without injury to the membranes thereof; a quantity of glycerine mixed with said material to form a paste; and a suflicient quantity of finely divided acid-resistant wax diffused throughout said mixture to form a thin protective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

9. In a dentifrice the combination of a body of cleansing material suitable for introduction of cleansing material suitable for introduction 10 into the mouth without injury to the membranes thereof a quantity of glycerine mixed with said material to form a paste; and a suilicient quan tity of finely divided ceresine wax diflfused throughout said mixture to form a thin pro- 15 tective coating of wax on the exposed surfaces of the teeth, when said teeth are brushed regularly with said dentifrice in the ordinary manner.

HERL L. CROW'I'HER. 

